(Newser)
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Pro-West Serbian President Boris Tadic won a second-round reelection today that many saw as a referendum on Serbia’s entry into the European Union. He nabbed more than 50% of a vote that drew Serbia's highest turnout in 7 years. In defeat, challenger Tomislav Nikolic warned the EU not to blackmail Serbia over integration. Nikolic ran as a nationalist, urging tight relations with Moscow.

Serbia's president plays a largely symbolic role, but is the military's commander in chief and carries symbolic weight, a BBC analyst explains. Though pro-Western, Tadic still opposes US and EU support for Kosovo's independence. Kosovo intends to break away from Serbia in the coming weeks.